Making high-quality, high-power solar cells and

modules using U.S.-based technology at

affordable costs to address the worlds energy needs

PV PERFORMANCE AND YIELD COMPARISONS:

NREL SAM AND PVSYST
JUNE 2012

AGENDA

Compare energy yield, performance results, and the reports between
two recognized PV simulation tools. How do they compare in the areas
of key interest?

This short presentation will not compare to actual collected field data
from our monitored sites. Nor is this presentation a tutorial on the
tools. Focus will be more on the engineering side rather than the
financial.

NRELs System Advisor Model (SAM) is a leading application (freely
available) that has evolved over many years. Does more than PV
including numerous renewable sources such as solar thermal and
geothermal

PVSYST is a PV-centric simulation tool developed initially at the
University of Geneva, Switzerland. Now a standalone company.

Both tools will work for simulating systems anywhere in the world.

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QUICK OVERVIEW

Both SAM and PVSYST will report on the most important engineering
results:
Energy yield (and the specific production (normalized))
Performance Ratio
Loss breakdown

The level of detail varies with PVSYST focusing more on the engineering
aspects of design and deployment; SAM provides good engineering
control with a tremendous amount of financial parameter
manipulation and reporting (including LCOE analysis)

PVSYST focuses on year one with extensive reports and breakdowns;
since SAM provides multiyear economic analysis, it takes into account
annual degradation

Both tools allow extensive loss parameter entry (including custom
shading)
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TOOL VERSIONS

SAM version 2012.5.11 (this is the latest)

PVSYST version V5.56 (latest as of April 2012; new minor release
V5.57 as of May 2012)

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1 MW COMMERCIAL MODELING EXAMPLE

1 MW Suniva 250W OPTIMUS monocrystalline system

4004 panels with a string size of 14 (286 strings)

SAM 2012.5.11

PVSYST 5.56

Climate file

Atlanta Hartsfield Airport TMY3

Atlanta Hartsfield Airport TMY3

Tilt

30 degrees

30 degrees

Azimuth

180 (due south)

NOCT

46 C

0 (due south) (Northern

Hemisphere centric)
46 C

DC Wire Ohmic loss at STC

1.0%

1.5%

AC wire Ohmic loss at STC

0.5%

0.5%

Diode and connector loss

0.5%

N/A

Module efficiency loss/nameplate

0%

0.1%

Power loss at MPP/mismatch

2.0%

2.0%

Soiling loss annual

2.0%

2.0%

Degradation per year

0.5%

N/A

Availability per year

98%

N/A

Shading

0%

0%
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SAM WALKTHROUGH
Main
PV
array
screen

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SAM REPORT PARAMETER AND RESULTS SUMMARY

Key points are
highlighted with
key parameters

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SAM REPORT LOSSES

Losses and derate
are shown as a
function of loss in
annual energy

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SAM REPORT MONTHLY YIELD

Monthly yield is
easy to follow

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PVSYST WALKTHROUGH
Main grid-tie
systems
screen

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PVSYST WALKTHROUGH
Main PV array
entry screen

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PVSYST REPORT PARAMETER SUMMARY

All parameters are
shown so system
simulation can be
reproduced by a 3rd
party independently

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PVSYST REPORT RESULTS SUMMARY

The three
main
simulation
results are
clear

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PVSYST REPORT LOSSES

The loss
diagram is
very clear

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PVSYST REPORT MONTHLY YIELD

Monthly
breakdown of
energy yield is
presented in
numerous
formats

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RESULTS COMPARISON
SAM 2012.5.11

PVSYST 5.56

Energy yield

1586.206 MWH/yr

1560 MWH/yr

Specific yield

1586 MWH/yr

1558 MWH/yr

Performance Ratio (PR)

88%

84.30%

If the derate-loss/parameters are set properly and the weather files are
the same (TMY3 in this case) then both PVSYST and SAM give similar
results (2% difference in this case).
PVSYST is a little more conservative and very close in comparisons with
our field data.
Key is setting the parameters, accuracy of the panel and inverter models,
and the validity of the weather file.

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TOOL COMPARISONS
NREL SAM
Free and accessible to anyone in the
world
Grid-tie only for residential, commercial,
commercial PPA, Utility Power Producer.
No off-grid or hybrid.

PVSYST
For purchase/license only
(30 day free full eval)
Grid-tie, off-grid, and DC grid. No hybrid
grid-tie + standalone.

Loss parameters

All required parameters are available

Extensive

Weather file support

TMY2, TMY3, EPW

Meteonorm, TMY2, TMY3, EPW, PVGIS,

WRDC, Retscreen, Helioclim, SolarGIS

Default module database

CEC and Sandia performance models

Photon

Component database
modification/creation

New version allows some flexibility in

Full flexibility for PV Module, Inverter,
module creation. Not inverter or anything Charge Controller, Battery, and Generator
else.
straightforward learning curve data
medium learning curve
entry is highly graphical

Availability
PV System Types

Overall ease of use

Customer facing reports

Clear and succint

Elaborate, professional, customizable

Economic/Financial Modeling

Very powerful, easy-to-use and easy-tounderstand economic modeling

Difficult to understand economic

modeling

Engineering Flexibility

Provides some degree of component

modeling but limited thermal modeling

Very detailed component modeling with

extensive thermal modeling

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PRESENTER INFO
Sol Haroon is the lead systems engineer (EE) at Suniva, Inc. Suniva is a US
manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells and PV modules. Sol is
responsible for systems modeling, simulation, monitoring, design of PV
systems, along with assessing the financial viability of systems entailing
balance of system gear such as inverters and racking.
Sol is a solar professional, EV enthusiast, and a sustainable habitat
systems architect working on net-zero architecture.
When not working and designing sustainable solutions, he enjoys
volunteering with international humanitarian missions around the globe.

He may be reached at sol@suniva.com

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Making high-quality, high-power solar cells and

modules using U.S.-based technology at

affordable costs to address the worlds energy needs

THANK YOU

SOL HAROON
SOL@SUNIVA.COM